Rear Echelon Troops - How do you use them?

[Inept]

No matter what I do, they are useless in a 1v1 fight, they drop like flies and hardly damage the enemy, they can build a fighting position and when inside use grenades, which whilst weak is still quite usefull, and other than that, I find them as a squad, useless.

Volleyfire I can never get working, or if I can, by the time it starts another squad comes and forces me to retreat, plus it costs a fair bit to use, for an effect thats worse than an MG or the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ kubelwagon, the only real use I see for them is to man AT/MG/Mortars as they are the cheapest to reinforce.

I hear that equipping them with a BAR is usefull but having never tried this I cannot comment, I assume they would still, drop like flies.

Does anyone have any advice for how to use these units? I often find myself using them as cap stoppers, just buying time until riflemen get into the fight as they (despite the description) are the worst? fighting unit in the game.

[tubagznyven]

my opinion is
always stick with riffleman
rear echelon isnt fighting unit

[DAWHIPPA]

If you volley fire with more than one squad you will suprees infantry very quickly. They used to supress any squad after about 4 seconds of volley fire before they were nerfed last year.

[BeingThere]

they are cheap. use them to man guns.

also, give them bazookas. their cheapnesss means using to fight tanks isnt costly MP wise.

also, use them to build tank traps.

[Inept]

Originally posted by tubagznyven:

my opinion is
always stick with riffleman
rear echelon isnt fighting unit

I do, I have neveer bought another RE (Unless I wanted the fighting position nades in more than one place) for this reason, but they MUST have a benefit? Right?

Originally posted by DAWHIPPA:

If you volley fire with more than one squad you will suprees infantry very quickly. They used to supress any squad after about 4 seconds of volley fire before they were nerfed last year.

That would drain munitions super fast just to supress 1 unit wouldn't it? Thats (in most cases) not viable, at least, for me.

[RedT3rror]

In early game I use them as a bait for Kübels and Sturmpios. Fighting positions are extremly useful in urban terrain to force units out of the buildings and cover.

And ofc, spam tank traps

[Butz]

Maning team weapons

Berhind my rifles using volly fire

Repairs

Tank traps, barbed wire

In fighting position with rifle nades

[Bulgaricus]

They're support infantry. Use them to support your riflemen.

[Justin*]

I like RE's.

Early game engagements you should try and use volley fire on squads that are in movement and not in any sort of cover, this is how you get max effectiveness. But always remember that when you use Volley fire your RE's gain %50 increased damage, so they WILL die faster when the ability is in use.

When you're capping an important point lay down a tank trap for Heavy cover, and barb wire the side facing your opponent so they can't use it against you.

Keep them alive, stick them in buildings and if you can catch a squad not in cover they actually do decent damage, and at Vet 2 they gain an extra unit model, whlile at Vet 1 they gain increased accuracy.

So that basically means at Vet2 you gain more survivability AND a more accurate and efficient squad. At this point, putting weapons on them is actually a good idea. For a squad costing 160 this isn't bad.

Not to mention when the Kubel comes the M1 Carbines actually do more close range damage than Rifles do, so keep that in mind.

TLDR; Keep them alive and know how to use them. It'll pay off.

[tom23456]

Use them as you'd use engineers with USSR

[Maschinengewehr]

Placing tank traps with wire on the enemy's side in areas with little or no cover can win you games in the long run.

[Ás Fífldjarfi]

Originally posted by tom23456:

Use them as you'd use engineers with USSR

That doesn't really work, they can't plant mines, demolition charges nor get flamethrowers. And you don't need them for repairs either since the tank crews can do that.

They can be used for mine removals though... and of course as bazooka troops. Keep in mind that once they get veterancy 2 their squad size increases to 5, so they get more effective at their work with the bazooka.

Never tried using the m1919 .30 cal lmg for them, but it would probably increase their dps.

[[HKG]hkwh01]

Can't even build mines

[tubagznyven]

Originally posted by Latch:

Originally posted by tubagznyven:

my opinion is
always stick with riffleman
rear echelon isnt fighting unit

I do, I have neveer bought another RE (Unless I wanted the fighting position nades in more than one place) for this reason, but they MUST have a benefit? Right?

Originally posted by DAWHIPPA:

If you volley fire with more than one squad you will suprees infantry very quickly. They used to supress any squad after about 4 seconds of volley fire before they were nerfed last year.

That would drain munitions super fast just to supress 1 unit wouldn't it? Thats (in most cases) not viable, at least, for me.

i use them for man the gun,sometimes give them zooks
nothing else

[BaldyMcNoseHair]

Early game they actually make a good flanking unit, since if they are close range they will actually do good damage if enemy is shooting at something else. Also they are good for making tank trap + barb wire defense cover, and fighting positions are good also. If you put a BAR on them Volley Fire actually works pretty good, and if they can get to vet 2 they actually become decent at combat. Also it is nice just to have more guys around to repair so you don't have to risk taking crew out of vehicle if in combat. IF you are gonna get zooks (which I can't remember the last tiem I did) put them on RE.